


The Next Generation

by NeverAndAlways



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cute Kids, Domestic Avengers, Gen, M/M, Magic, Not Beta Read, On Hiatus, Post Mpreg, Superpowers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-03-26 11:06:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3848647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeverAndAlways/pseuds/NeverAndAlways
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to 'A Child of Two Worlds' (http://archiveofourown.org/works/3358514/chapters/7346162).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is all I can post for now; sorry it's so short. Keep an eye out for the next part tomorrow afternoon/evening!

There's always something going on in the Avengers Tower. Whether it's busy SHIELD Agents wielding cups of coffee and top-secret files, or the buzz of Dr. Banner's latest experiment, or the sleek hum of Tony Stark's lab, you can almost feel the energy in the air.

Some places more than others. Up on the residence floor, in the main bedroom of his apartment, Thor is sitting cross-legged on the floor and concentrating very hard. A heavy book lays open at his knees, its pages covered with runes; he peers at it occasionally. His hands are held stiffly in front of him, fingers spread as though grasping an invisible ball. The space between them wavers like a mirage. The air around him crackles faintly. Loki was always much better at this type of thing...Thor moves his hands closer together and concentrates. There's a suggestion of electric-blue between his fingers. But as soon as he notices it, it implodes with a disappointing little *pop*. He lets his hands fall onto his lap. The magic in this realm is so slow, it's a wonder it even works at all. The energy dissipates, leaving a smell of ozone; elsewhere in the Tower, lights flicker and computers register a power surge that seems to come from nowhere. And Thor is worn out. Breathing hard, he stands up and puts the book back on its shelf before flopping onto the bed. He's asleep in seconds- and so doesn't notice his son sneaking away from the door.

-

Erik doesn't sleep much that night.

Well, no, that's not quite true- he did try to sleep for a while, but he was too excited. So instead he lays there in his spaceship-print pajamas, holding out his hands like he saw his father doing, and concentrates. And waits. He knows Papa was doing magic- he could feel it in the room -but he doesn't feel anything now. Until he tries repeating some of the words Papa was saying, and then the magic roars to life. It's orange and purple and curls around and through his fingers like little snakes made of fire but it doesn't burn. It's cold, really cold. It surprises him; he pulls his hands apart, and it pops like a bubble. Then he grins as the afterimage fades. He did magic! Actual magic! He has to show Papa and Daddy- wait, no. Not them. He'd just get in trouble for being out of bed. But he has to tell someone or he'll explode...what about James? Erik climbs out of bed and tiptoes across the room to his little brother's crib, where he reaches through the railing to wake him. "James! James, wake up! Lookit!"

James' eyes open and he scowls up at Erik. He's gearing up to cry, so Erik quickly raises his hands. "Look what I can do!" he mutters the words again, and the magic comes right back. James is immediately wide-awake.

"Lights!" he babbles, and claps his hands happily. Erik smiles. On a whim, he moves one hand to the crib railing; the magic shoots down onto it, and continues until every rung is wrapped in moving, pulsing light. This is too much for James. He starts to cry, sending Erik scrambling back to his bed with magic disintegrating behind him. Their dad shows up moments later, but by then the light is gone and Erik is under the blankets as though he never left.

Steve comforts James and puts him back to sleep. As he's turning to leave, he wonders vaguely why the room smells like ozone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story so far, please leave a comment- I'd love to hear from you!


	2. Chapter 2

The magic shows continue for some time. It becomes a regular thing: after they're put to bed, Eric waits until the apartment is quiet. Then he goes and sits next to James' crib, and the room lights up purple and orange. He gets pretty good at it. After a few nights, he can make the magic go where he wants it to- up to circle the ceiling, down to coil around chair legs, even hovering just over his shoulders. It's cold and sort of sparkly. He likes it. And he likes that it's a secret only he and James know about. He hasn't told anyone else; not Alexander (his best friend from down the hall), or Miss Pepper, or even his parents. He does want to show Papa and Daddy, but not until he's really good at it. It'll be a surprise!

-

"Eric, can you keep an eye on your brother for a minute, please?" Steve's voice comes from the main bedroom; he's holding the phone to his shoulder, covering the mouthpiece with one hand. In the living room, Eric looks up from the puzzle he's putting together. James is nearby, methodically putting together one of those colored wooden ring toys that nobody knows the name for.

"'Kay."

"Thanks, buddy. I'll be right back."

The bedroom door shuts, muffling Steve's voice. James chews on one of the rings, and Eric goes back to his puzzle. This is a tough one: it's supposed to be a picture of a giraffe, but he can't find all the foot pieces. He suspects James might have something to do with that. He hunts around on the carpet for the missing pieces while his brother plays. One piece is still in its box, and another is collecting dust under the bookshelf; he collects them and fits them into place, and he's halfway through the puzzle when he glances up and finds his little brother watching him from a few inches away with his thumb in his mouth. He mutters something unintelligable around it.

"I can't hear you."

James pops his thumb out of his mouth. "Lights?"

"No, shhhhhh!" Erik hisses. "Daddy's gonna come back, he'd see it!"

"Please?"

"No. Not right now."

"Lights? Please?"

" **No**."

"Pleeeeease?"

"No!"

The two boys stare each other down for a few seconds. James' brow furrows. His lip quivers. He knows just how to get what he wants, and it works. Erik sighs.

"Okay." He sets down his puzzle pieces and holds out his hands. James scoots back, his tumb back in his mouth again. Erik says the words; the magic flows through his hands and out from his fingers to hover a few feet above them, curling and twisting and radiating cold. James giggles and claps his hands in delight. Erik concentrates for a moment, angles one hand, and it streams away to a lamp, where it coils under the lampshade and then bursts out the top like a fountain. He directs it around and around the room, behind and between them, up to the ceiling and down again, for as long as he can control it. When he starts to lose his grip on the magic, he scowls in concentration and sends it all to the middle of the ceiling to crash together. Strands of magic rain down like cold tinsel on their heads and shoulders. James giggles again; it's contagious, and soon both boys are laughing like hyenas.

Until they hear footsteps. James looks up first; the smile falls off his face instantly. Eric follows his gaze. Their dad is a few feet away and the look on his face leaves nothing to question. Eric lowers his hands. "Hi daddy." he says meekly.

"Eric," he says carefully, "what was that?"

"...Magic...?" 

"How did you learn that...?"

"From Papa. Look-" he only gets half the words out before his dad runs over and grabs his hands. A few sparks jump out between their fingers.

"No. No no no. I saw it. Please...please don't do it again. Not until your father gets back."

"Why?"

"I'll tell you later." he takes a deep breath. Then, too softly for Eric to hear, "Thor has a lot to explain."

oOo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story so far, please leave a comment- I'd love to hear from you!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads-up: this chapter is pretty dialogue-heavy (I blame Thor; the way he talks is just too much fun to write).

"Eric...?"

The bedroom door swings open. Eric is sitting in the middle of his bed with the covers tented over him; his face is barely visible. He doesn't move as his parents cross the room and his dad sits beside him. Steve gently pulls the blanket away from his face. He gets a sullen glare for his trouble.

"Hey." he says with a smile. "Can we talk to you for a minute?"

"Why?"

"I want you to show Papa what you showed James."

"Nuh-uh." Eric pulls the blanket back over his face.

"Eric." Thor chimes in. "We are not angry, you are not in trouble. I only want to see." the mound of blankets curls up even further. "I am proud of you," he adds in an undertone, "when I was your age, I had not yet mastered even basic spells."

This gets Eric's attention. The blanket pulls back slightly. "Really?" Thor nods. Eric emerges a little more and looks down at his hands, clasped around his knees. "Just show me what you showed your brother." Thor encourages him.

Eric thinks for a few moments, then holds out his hands. Steve stands up and moves a way a few steps, and just in time- when Eric mutters the words, the spray of magic flows right through where he'd been. It doesn't go much farther than that, though; after reaching the end of the bed, it fizzles out and disappears. That's weird, thinks Eric. Why won't the magic listen to him? He rubs his hands together and tries again, but all he gets is a few little bursts of sparks. He looks up at his parents. "It won't listen to me. Usually it's like-" he makes a wide, sweeping gesture to illustrate his point.

"We believe you." Steve assures him. "But-"

"Is this what you were attempting to do...?" Thor gets a mischevious glint in his eye. Before his husband can stop him he stretches out his hands and mutters a few words, and with a flick of his wrist, a ball of turquoise magic flies away to burst against the wall. Eric's eyes light up, but Steve isn't impressed.

"Thor, please. Don't encourage him."

Thor looks offended at this. "Why?"

"Just-not right now, okay?" Steve sits down on the bed again. "Eric, how did you learn to do this?"

"From Papa."

All eyes are on Thor now. "I swear, I have taught him nothing."

Steve turns back to his son. "Honey, I need you to tell me the truth. I'm not gonna get mad."

The little boy hugs his knees to his chest. "...I saw him."

"Whom?"

"Papa." he speaks haltingly, as though remembering something from a long time ago. "He said he was gonna go read a book an' he went into his room. But then the air felt kinda funny so I followed him, an' he was sitting on the floor an'...he was doing magic." he shrugs.

"And that's how you learned it? From watching him?"

"Mm-hmm."

Steve sighs. He and Thor exchange a meaningful glance over Eric's head. "If you wished to learn, Eric," says Thor, "you should have asked. I would gladly have taught you, had I known. But you should never eavesdrop."

"Sorry." Eric is withdrdawing into the blankets again. He looks on the verge of tears.

"Hey, it's okay. C'mere." Steve holds out his arms. Eric emerges from his blanket tent and lets himself be lifted onto Steve's lap and folded into a hug; he doesn't even object when his dad presses a kiss to his hair. He sniffles. "Shhh." Steve soothes. "We aren't mad at you, buddy, I promise. You're not in trouble. But your papa's right, you should never eavesdrop on people. Can you remember that for me?"

"...Yeah."

"Good."

"Daddy...?"

"What?"

"Can I still do magic?"

Steve thinks for a minute. He brushes a wayward strand of hair off Eric's forehead. "Maybe." he says at length. "Your father and I need to talk about it first. But right now-" he leans down to look Eric in the eye "it's almost time for dinner, so I need you to go pick up your toys from the living room, okay? We'll talk more about magic later."

"...'kay." Eric doesn't look totally convinced, but he slides off his dad's lap and shuffles out of the room. As soon as he's gone, Steve gets up and shuts the door. He turns to his husband.

"So."

"So...?"

"What's your take on this?"

Thor shrugs. "He is a very bright boy. He is merely exploring his abilities."

"Abilities that he shouldn't even have." Steve says under his breath. Thor bristles visibly.

"'Shouldn't'? You speak as if he has a disease. He has talent, Steven, why not let him use it?"

"That's not what I meant." Steve shuts his eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath. "Remember when I was pregnant with Eric, and we had that talk with Bruce...? He said that since Eric is half-Midgardian, his chances of any magic ability would be slim to none."

"So he was incorrect." Thor shrugs again. "That does not mean we shouldn't encourage Eric's skill."

"Thor, he's five years old...!"

"So? Loki and I were of a similar age when we began to learn magic. Why are you so averse to Eric doing the same?"

Steve looks away and stares into the middle distance for a moment, as though weighing his words. "I don't want him to feel like he's different."

Thor frowns. "I don't understand. He **is** different, is he not?"

"Yeah, but...I mean, he's gonna grow up with this ability that no one else will have."

"So he should celebrate it, not hide it."

"God, I don't know, Thor..." Steve drags his hands through his hair. The sound of a falling box drifts in from the living room, followed by a muffled "oops", and then a hesitant "...Daddy??" He sighs and stands up to go investigate. "Let's just sleep on it for now, okay? I'll talk to Director Fury in the morning."

oOo


	4. Chapter 4

Director Fury does not like children. He never quite knows how to act around them. They're noisy and messy and fast and they don't follow orders- and inexplicably, they always seem to like him. Maybe it's the eyepatch. But he'd take even a recalcitrant junior Agent over a kid any day. At least Agents don't throw fits...

Anyway, he hadn't been surprised when the team started pairing off a couple years back. It was bound to happen. But then when Barton and Rogers turned up pregnant one after the other, well, that was a different story. He essentially lost two of his best guys, for over a year- and then some. Sure, they were back in business after their respective paternity leaves, but there have still been moments here and there. Like today.

"...And you want me to talk to him why, exactly?"

Fury is sitting at his desk, resting his elbows on the smooth surface and staring coolly at Captain Rogers with his one good eye. He's never seen the guy look so...well, fretful. He didn't think it was possible for someone Rogers' size.

Steve tangles his hands in his lap for the hundredth time. "I- well, **we** were hoping you could work with him, sir. Train him on how to use these, uh...these powers. He's five years old, he could easily hurt himself or someone else if he doesn't know how to keep them under control."

Fury shakes his head with a smile. "I appreciate the gesture, Captain, but you're talking to the wrong guy. I don't train 'em, I just find 'em. Coulson's the one you wanna talk to, or Hill. Or, if push comes to shove," he nods at Thor, "your folks back in Asgard would be a safe bet. But you've probably thought of that already."

"We have." Thor agrees. "But we thought it would be wise to speak with you first."

"It was. But like I said, I can't help you much."

"Understood." Steve stands up and beckons for his husband to follow. "Thank you, sir."

-

It takes a while to locate Agent Coulson- you never quite know where he'll be on any given day. But after first tracking down his husband (easy enough to find; he and Alexander are keeping watch from the top floor), Steve and Thor make their way to Coulson's office. Coulson himself shows up a few minutes later, looking rather surprised to see them. But he recovers quickly, and his well-practiced SHIELD agent persona slips back into place.

"Rogers. Odinson." he nods sedately to each of them in turn.

"Son of Coul." Thor bows his head in respect.

"Can I help you, gentlemen...?" Coulson sets a stack of files on his desk and turns to face the pair. Steve catches a glimpse of at least one [CONFIDENTIAL] stamp among the files.

"We need to talk to you."

"Oh?" Coulson sits down at his desk. Steve takes a seat as well, but Thor remains standing.

"It's not exactly standard SHIELD business..." Steve begins.

"Good." Says Coulson with a gleam in his eye. "I've sat through too many meetings today, anyway." then he grows serious again. "What's the problem?"

"It's Eric. He...he's started displaying powers very similar to Thor's. And Loki's."

"Powers? Like what...?"

Steve takes a deep breath and explains. Coulson listens solemnly, hands folded on his desk, as Steve recounts what he saw and what Eric told him. He nods occasionally, but doesn't say a word. When Steve finishes his story, Coulson looks down at his hands for a moment before speaking.

"I can see why you're concerned. For a five-year-old - especially one as sensitive as Eric - this must be really frightening. And I thought Clint and I had our hands full with Alexander..." he smirks. "Anyway. I'm glad you brought this to my attention, Rogers. Eric will need to be taught how to use his powers correctly, or we could really find ourselves in trouble. With your permission, I'd like to talk to him myself- assess his abilities, decide where to start."

"Of course."

"Where is he now?"

"Miss Potts is taking care of him and James."

Coulson stands up from his desk in full SHIELD Agent mode. Steve automatically gets to his feet; even though he stands nearly a head shorter, Coulson seems to loom at him. The Agent nods briskly. "Lead on."

-

"Eric? James?"

No sooner does Steve step into the apartment than he's overtaken by two little missiles. They attach themselves to his legs with a cry of "dad!!", forcing him back against the door. He staggers momentarily, then leans down to scoop the smaller of the two into his arms. Eric is getting a bit too big to hold. "Hey, how're my two favorite guys?" he grins, ruffling his older son's hair.

"Good!" Eric's voice is muffled against Steve's shirt. James just chews on his hand. Behind Steve, the door opens again, and Thor slips inside. Eric waves.

"There is someone here to see you, Eric." says Thor solemnly. Agent Coulson enters the apartment behind him. Eric tries to shrink behind his dad.

"Hi Mister Coulson." his voice is little more than a squeak. "Is Alex here...?" he ventures.

"Not today, Eric. I'm here to talk to you, actually." he looks up. "Hello, Miss Potts." Pepper has come in from the other room. She waves cheerfully. Eric, meanwhile, scoots even further behind Steve.

"It's okay, sweetie." Steve scoots him back out again. "Coulson just wants to ask you a few questions, then you can come back and play with your brother."

"...'Kay." reluctantly, Eric takes Coulson's outstreched hand and lets the Agent lead him away. Steve watches them go with a knot in his stomach.

-

They're gone for over an hour.

If Thor is worried, he doesn't show it; he plays hide-and-seek with James and chats with Pepper and seems perfectly calm. Steve, on the other hand, feels like a nervous wreck. He knows Coulson wouldn't do anything that might hurt Eric, but at the same time - why is it taking so long? What is he doing? Is Erik okay? Steve has never been this scared. He feels like all his military training has gone right out the window; no soldier should let himself get worked up into such a state, especially when he knows- logically -that nothing bad is happening.

Steve does eventually put it out of his mind. Being recruited into a game of hide-and-seek with a toddler will do that to you. He is both the hider and the seeker, and the time goes by much faster. He even gets stuck hiding in a closet. Pepper and Thor are working to extract him when he hears the apartment door open and close. He and Thor both gravitate to the sound.

"Eric?" Thor calls. "Son of Coul?"

Eric appears in the hallway. He looks a little pale, and makes a beeline for his bedroom. "Hi Papa. Hi Daddy."

"Hey." Steve follows him down the hall. "You okay, honey?"

"'M tired." Eric climbs into bed, pausing only to kick off his shoes. "Mister Coulson asked lots of questions."

"Okay. We can talk when you wake up." Steve pulls the covers up around his son (he's a parent. he has to fuss.) and presses a kiss to his hair. He smells like ozone.

Thor and Agent Coulson are talking in hushed voices when he goes out to the living room. Steve walks up as surreptitiously as possible.

"...has a lot of potential-" Coulson looks up at Steve. "Is he alright...?"

"Just tired. How did it go?"

"Your son is very talented, Captain. I think he could easily give his dad a run for his money when he grows up."

Steve smiles as only a proud parent can. "Is that your professional opinion, Agent?"

"No. My professional opinion is that Eric will need a lot of help and training to control these powers as they develop. He could do a lot of damage trying to figure them out alone."

Steve nods slowly. Thor snakes an arm around his waist, and he leans into it.

"What will this training entail?" asks Thor.

"Practice. He needs to be able to explore his abilities in a safe, controlled environment."

Thor gestures to the room in general with a broad sweep of his arm. "Would this not be a safe environment?"

"Not unless you're looking to redecorate." Coulson deadpans. Steve and Thor exchange wary glances, and he holds up his hands. "I know, this is a lot to take in all at once. I'll give you a few days to think about it, but you should make a decision soon, one way or another." he turns and heads for the door. "You know where to find me."

oOOo


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to leave you hanging for so long. School is...school. I'll try to update more frequently once finals are over.

"Eric Thorsson-Rogers, what do you think you're doing??"

These past few weeks haven't been easy on anyone. Eric seems to have taken well to his lessons with Agent Coulson, but he's still acting like his powers are something to be ashamed of. He only uses them when he thinks his parents aren't looking. Which is why Steve just caught him kneeling on the kitchen counter, using magic to lift a jar of chocolate chips down from the cupboard. His head whips around at the sound of his dad's voice.

"Um." he looks from his dad to the levitating jar and back.

"You get down from there right now, young man." there's a sharp edge to Steve's voice. Eric quickly does as he's told, but he seems to have forgotten about the chocolate chips: as soon as he drops his hands to his sides, the spell is broken, and suddenly the levitating jar isn't. It falls to the counter and shatters, sending chocolate and shards of glass flying across the kitchen. He flinches away. Steve sighs.

"Eric..."

"Sorry, dad." Eric starts to climb down, but Steve holds up a hand to stop him.

"No, no. You're not wearing shoes, hold on." he tiptoes across the room, crunching on broken glass, and hoists his son into his arms. Then he carries him back and plunks him down on the carpet. "I'm going to get a broom, but you stay right there. I'm not done with you, mister."

Steve stalks away. Eric waits until he's out of sight before summoning and devouring a single chocolate chip. But when he comes back, brandishing a broom and dustpan and a stormy look, Eric shrinks.

"So." says Steve, sweeping up the glass. "Do you want to tell me what you were just doing?"

Eric looks down at his feet. "...Getting th' chocolate chips." he mutters. "With magic."

"And why did you think that was a good idea?"

"I dunno."

Steve sighs again. "I am not happy with you right now. This is **not** how you use magic."

"Sorry."

"I don't want you to be sorry, I want you to remember."

Eric just stares at his feet. Glass shards rustle on the floor. "Eric," Steve continues, "magic is very special. It's not something you use just to get chocolate down from a shelf."

"I know."

Steve arches one eyebrow. "Oh? Then why did you?"

"I don't **know**!" Eric scowls.

"Eric, please don't raise your voice at me-"

" **I'm not**!!" before Steve can stop him, Eric turns on his heel and thunders away to his room. For a moment Steve considers going after him. But Eric seems to have inherited his father's stormy temper, and when Thor gets like this, there's not much reasoning with him. So he goes back to sweeping up the glass. Just let the storm blow over.

-

Barely two hours later, Steve is folding laundry when he hears it again: the sound of little kid feet on linoleum.

"Eric, what are you doing out there?" he calls.

"Nothing." a little voice calls back.

You'd better be telling the truth, kid. Steve shakes his head and goes back to folding. It's quiet. Then he hears a cupboard door open and moments later, the sound of breaking ceramic and a bitten-off yelp.

"Oh, for crying out loud, Eric..." Steve throws down the pants he was folding and storms off to the kitchen. He's got half a mind to ground the kid. But when he gets to the scene of the crime, Eric is on the other side of the living room, making a tower out of legos. He looks just as surprised as his dad. Five years' experience, however, reminds Steve that looks can be deceiving. He looks at the bowl, lying in jagged pieces on the kitchen floor, then back at his son.

"Eric, did you do this?"

The little boy shakes his head. "No."

Steve sniffs the air. There's ozone, all right- and something else, something sharp. "Then why do I smell magic?"

"It wasn't me!"

"Okay, so who was it?"

Eric gives him a deer-in-the-headlights look. Steve shakes his head again. "Go to your room, please, Eric. You and I are going to have a talk later."

"But I didn't-"

"Move it, mister."

The boy stands up from his legos and slinks away. Steve waits until he hears the bedroom door slam before entering the kitchen. That bowl had been on a top shelf, how did the kid even get the cupboard open? Where there's a will, there's a way...they definitely need to have a talk about honesty. As he's crossing the kitchen, it takes him a moment to realize that the air is much colder than the rest of the apartment- but he doesn't have time to think on it because his next step sends his feet right out from under him, and he lands hard on his tailbone.

"Steven??"

Steve looks up. Through the stars swimming across his vision, he sees Thor charge into the room. "I'm okay. Eric was 'practicing' again. Just..fell." he grimaces. That's gonna leave a bruise. "Careful, the floor's slick." he warns as his husband crouches beside him. Thor hesitates in reaching out to him, as though hit by a bad smell. "What's wrong?"

"Powerful magic." Thor shakes his head a few times. "You do not feel it...?"

"...No."

"Well, you are Midgardian," he says, in the same way one might say 'you're old'. "I suppose you would not."

Steve thinks for a moment, but he doesn't feel anything. Except...now that he thinks about it, his backside is cold. Very cold. Why on earth-? He takes his husband's arm and hoists himself up, then looks down at the floor. Under the broken bowl, and several feet around it, is a patch of thick ice. It glistens in the fluorescent light as a wide starburst shape, as though it exploded outward from the bowl itself, and it's an unnatural shade of blue. Tesseract blue, almost. The edges are already starting to melt.

"There's your 'powerful magic'." he says to Thor. "Looks like Eric's discovered something new about his powers."

"No." Thor says firmly. He bends down and hovers one large hand over the ice for a moment. "This was not his doing. It is much stronger."

"It wasn't Eric?"

"No."

"Then who was it...?"

Thor shakes his head, still staring at the ice. Steve rarely sees him so concerned. "I do not know."

oOOo


	6. Chapter 6

It's hot. Too damn hot. The Avengers tower glints in the summer sun; inside, everyone is doing their best to stay cool. Tony, being Tony, wanders around in nothing but swim trunks (he points out that since it's technically still his tower, he technically still makes the rules); Bruce is up on the roof, taking the opportunity to do some temperature-based experiments (he doesn't mind the heat, really); Coulson has managed to get the day off, and he and Clint are at the swimming pool with Alexander. Natasha is away on assignment, probably somewhere cold. And Steve...well, he's currently arguing with JARVIS. It's mostly a one-sided argument, but he's pretty sure he's losing.

"JARVIS, what's the current ambient temperature of apartment 26?"

"At the moment, the temperature is exactly 70.2 degrees farenheit."

Steve swears under his breath. "No. No, it isn't." this is exactly why he still doesn't trust computers. Damn Stark and his inventions. It's 102 degrees outside, and here he is wearing a parka because this 'state-of-the-art' computer can't figure out its own temperature controls. He stalks over to the phone and punches in Stark's number.

"Yeah?" Stark's voice is almost drowned out by the sound of his machines.

"Stark, it's me. It didn't work."

"What? Hang on, I can barely-" Stark's voice grows muffled for a moment. "Hey! Dummy! Yes, you. Would you shut up for a minute??" the machine sounds abruptly cease. "You were saying?"

Steve rolls his eyes. "I said, it still isn't working. I've been arguing with JARVIS for fifteen minutes and it still tells me it's 70 degrees in here."

Stark sighs into the phone. "Alright, I'll see if I can talk some sense into 'im. Be there in five." the line goes dead. Steve drops it back onto the receiver and rubs his hands together to warm them a little. It's got to be in the low 30's now. He plunges his hands into his pockets and walks back across the apartment. Thor is in their bedroom with the boys. Steve pokes his head in the door to see him sitting on the bed, James in his lap and Eric snuggled into his side, with the comforter over all three of them. Only Thor's head and hands stick out; he's reading aloud, his rumbling baritone filling the room. James peeks out of the comforter.

"Daddy." he tries to wriggle out of his father's arms. This gets Thor's attention immediately, and he quickly tucks the little boy back into the blanket.

"Be still, James. You must stay warm." he says gently. Then he turns to Steve. "What has the Man of Iron said?"

"He's on his way. I'm done arguing with computers." Steve climbs onto the bed. "Room for one more?"

Thor, James, and Eric scoot over a little, and Thor holds up one side of the blanket. Steve gladly tucks himself in against his husband. They're quiet for a moment.

"I do not believe JARVIS is causing this." says Thor in an undertone.

"What do you mean...?"

"I sense something. Magic." he nods toward Eric, and lowers his voice even more. "I believe he is trying too hard to contol it."

Steve looks down at his son, curled up next to Thor. He looks pretty content. "What would that have to do with this?"

"Excess magic does strange things." says Thor cryptically. Before he can say anything more, a polite little hand comes up and taps on his chest. He looks down. "Yes, James?"

James picks up the abandoned book and thrusts it at his dad. "Story." he reminds him. "Papa read."

"Ah, of course! How could I forget?" his voice returns to a jovial rumble. He takes the book and opens it with a flourish. "Let us continue-" but as soon as he begins to read, there's a loud knock on the door. Steve unearths himself from the blanket.

"I'll get it."

Stark breezes in with barely a 'hello' the moment the door opens. At least he was smart enough to wear a jacket...he shivers. "Wow, you weren't kidding! JARVIS?"

"Yes, sir?" the slightly put-upon voice comes from a speaker in the wall.

"What's goin' on here?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, sir."

"See??" Steve throws up his hands.

"Yeah, I see." Tony sets a toolbox down on the floor. Eric and James, having decided that this is more exciting than Thor's story, troop out of the bedroom to watch. He catches sight of them and arches one eyebrow. "...hi."

"What are you doing?" asks Eric.

"Fixing JARVIS, hopefully."

"Oh."

There's an access panel halfway up the wall; standing on a chair, Tony pries it open, still talking to the computer. "JARVIS, access your systems diagnostic subroutine." there's an affirmative beep, and he continues. "Okay, run a diagnostic on the environmental controls for apartment 26. Tell me what you find." he takes a long metal stylus out of the toolbox and starts poking around in the access panel with it. JARVIS hums thoughtfully in the background. There's a brief flash of blue from inside the panel. Then, without warning, it explodes, throwing him backward off the chair and sending the stylus flying across the room. His face is slightly singed when Steve helps him to his feet. "Wow." he says rather matter-of-factly. "That's a new one. JARVIS, what was that?"

"I don't know, sir, I'm still running the diagnostic."

Thor appears. "What happened?"

"Some kind of energy discharge." Tony waves his hand dismissively. He pauses. "Is it me, or is it colder in here?"

"That was magic." says Thor firmly.

"Whatever you say, Dumbledore." Tony picks up his stylus; it's snapped neatly in half, and one end is charred. Thor isn't listening; he turns to Steve.

"We should not stay here tonight."

"Why?"

"I do not know, but we are not safe. That was extremely powerful."

"Do you know what caused it?"

Eric speaks up behind them. "It was the tall man."

"Who?" Steve spins around.

"The tall man." Eric is perfectly calm. "I see him sometimes; he watches us. He's not nice."

Steve looks back at his husband. "I'll call Pepper."

oOo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued...  
> -
> 
> If you like the story so far, please leave a comment- I'd love to hear from you!


	7. Chapter 7

"I can't thank you enough for this, Miss Potts."

"Don't worry about it, Steve. We're happy to help." Pepper gently elbows Tony in the ribs. "Aren't we?"

Tony looks around: his living room has been turned into a hotel. Four cots, duffel bags, toys, blankets, fans...he frowns. Then Pepper elbows him again. "Yeah. Yeah, of course we are. Happy to help. But y'know, Cap, we're still gonna charge you rent." he gives Steve a playful punch on the arm. Steve is unimpressed. So is Pepper.

" **Tony**."

"Kidding, kidding! Jeez, can't anyone take a joke?" Tony throws up his arms in mock exasperation as he saunters away. "Make yourselves at home, I guess. I'll be in the lab. Holler if you need me."

The door slams behind him. Pepper shakes her head. "I would apologize for him, but-"

"It's alright." Steve sits down on his cot and stares through the windows. It's past sundown; the sky is still dusky-blue, and the city below is coming to life. It's quite beautiful. Then James charges past in nothing but a diaper, with Thor in hot pursuit. He watches them go. Belatedly, it dawns on him that Pepper is still speaking. He shakes his head clear. "I'm sorry?"

"I said, you and Thor and the boys can stay as long as you need to. Don't let Tony scare you off."

"Thank you. You're a lifesaver, Miss Potts."

She shrugs. "It's my job."

"Dad?" Eric speaks up from his cot.

"Hey, I thought you were asleep." Steve crouches down by his son. "Did we wake you?"

"No." Eric sits up and hugs his knees. "How long do we hafta stay here?"

"I don't know. Probably just a few nights, until we figure out what's going on."

"I wanna go back to our apartment."

"I know, honey. We will." Steve puts a comforting hand on Eric's back. "Try to get some sleep, okay? It's way past your bedtime."

Eric lays down with a sigh, tucking his stuffed animal - a rather ragged toy cat - under his chin. He looks thoughtful. "Dad?" he says again.

"What?"

"Do you still think I did it?"

Steve's heart clenches a little at this. "No, Eric. Of course not."

"It's the tall man." Eric countinues solemnly. "He wants me to get in trouble."

"Well, he's not going to get you, I promise. He'd have to go through me and your father first." Steve smiles bravely. "Now no more words, mister. Go to sleep."

 

Steve spends the rest of the night at the window, watching over his husband and sons. This 'tall man' is probably just in Eric's head - kids dream up all kinds of monsters - but all the same...he did promise.

oOo

The next days and nights pass without incident. The apartment defrosts, and Tony builds a new program for their environmental controls. He seems only too happy to see his guests leave. Typical Stark. But things are pretty normal, regardless. Alexander even comes over for a playdate, and Clint chats with Steve and Thor while the boys tear around the apartment. And there's no trace of magic. In hindsight, that should probably have been concerning. But as it is, they're so relieved to be past the drama that they don't notice. Normalcy is such a rare thing around here (the Avengers are chaotic by nature, and living with a two- and a five-year-old presents it own challenges); they'll take whatever they can get.

Then, one muggy evening while Thor is putting the boys to bed, he notices something odd. The scent of ozone in the room isn't terribly unusual - just part of living with a magic-user. No, the odd thing is that he's being watched. Sized up, even. As though someone or something is deciding if he's really worth the effort. He can't pinpoint it, though, and in the end he chalks it up to being overtired. But he still stops to cast a minor protection spell over the doorway before leaving. Just in case.

-

The tall man has been watching Eric and James all day. Eric is tired of it. He can't believe Papa and Daddy don't see him; he's almost always there. He stands just around corners, or in the shadows behind the door, and he watches. He looks like he's waiting. Part of Eric wants to just tell him to go away, but the rest of him is too scared. So he stays as far away as possible, and tries to will him to leave.

It doesn't work.

Late that night, Eric suddenly realizes he's awake. He wonders vaguely what woke him up, but he doesn't wonder very long- there are eyes in the corner of the room. He stares at them. They stare back. He knows exactly who it is, and he's had enough; he sits up. "I can see you, you know." he says to the eyes. They blink once, twice, and then the tall man steps out of the shadows. He looks different, and scarier: he's dressed all in black and green with gold on his arms and shoulders and across his chest. He shines in the moonlight. 

"And I can see you." the tall man's voice is deep and dark. He strides slowly across the room to Eric's bed. Eric opens his mouth to yell for his parents, but the tall man raises one long finger to stop him. "Please don't yell. I'm not here to hurt you."

To Eric's surprise, he does as he's told. His mouth shuts with a snap. The tall man stands at the end of Eric's bed and just looks at him. "Do you know who I am, Eric?" he asks quietly. Eric shakes his head. The tall man smiles as though that was just what he wanted. "Well, I know who you are. You are Eric Thorsson-Rogers, the son of two of Midgard's greatest warriors. And a very gifted child."

"How do you-"

"I am Loki." says the tall man, as though that explains everything. "I am Loki of Asgard, brother of Thor- and your uncle." he pauses to let the words sink in. Eric just stares at him. He has an uncle? Why didn't Papa tell him? He doesn't look anything like Papa.

"What do you want?" he scoots back against the headboard. The tall man - Loki - chuckles.

"What do I want?" he echoes. "I want to talk, nothing more. Thor never told me of you or your brother. I simply wanted to meet you. I have seen what you can do, Eric. You have a great gift."

Eric hesitates. "Th' magic?"

"Yes. You are very talented. You could do great things with it."

"But daddy said-"

"Never mind what he said. He is Midgardian. He would have you forget about your powers."

"Why...?"

"He is afraid. He doesn't understand it." Loki sits down on the bed and holds out his fist toward Eric. "But I do." he opens his fingers, and a tall blue flame unfolds from his palm. With a flick of his wrist, it flies up to draw a complicated shape that hangs glowing in the air, before settling back in his hand. He smiles as the shape fades. "I could teach you, Eric. Come with me, and I will teach you how to use your magic, how to free it."

Eric frowns. He's still dazzled by that little flame. "But...Mister Coulson is teaching me. I go an' see him on Wednesdays, an' he teaches me."

Loki shakes his head. "What he is teaching you is not magic, it is trickery. He would have you work only for SHIELD. I can teach you real magic." he brings his hands together suddenly. The flame disappears. But when he spreads his hands, it spreads with them in a curtain of swirling blue that floats up to the ceiling. Eric watches it until it disappears. "What do you say? Will you come with me?"

"Where?"

"Far away, to Asgard. It is a magnificent place, full of things to see." Loki looks expectantly at him. Eric doesn't meet his gaze. There's magic coming off this guy in waves, and it all feels directed at him.

"Can Papa and Daddy and James come too?" he asks at last.

"No," Loki says dismissively, "they belong here."

"Then I'm not going." Eric folds his arms. He's not going anywhere if they can't be there. Loki seems to turn his smile up a notch.

"But you have family in Asgard. Your grandmother, Freya, would love to meet you. And your cousins."

"Cousins?" this gets Eric's attention. Loki nods.

"I have children of my own- six of them. Two are about your age. Come with me and you can meet them."

For a moment, Eric almost says yes. But then he thinks about his parents, and James. Wouldn't they miss him? He shakes his head. "No."

"Oh Eric, don't make this difficult." Loki lowers his voice as though telling a secret. "I know this may be hard to accept, but they will never understand your talent. You will always be different, always an outcast."

What? No! "That's not true!"

"But it is. In Asgard, your magic can flourish as it is meant to." Loki extends his hand toward Eric again, fingers outstretched. A blue glow flares up around them. "Let me show you."

"Don't-" Eric holds up his own hands in front of his face.

"I am only trying to make you see, you stupid child." there's a sharpness to Loki's voice now. Suddenly he doesn't seem as nice. Eric grabs Loki's wrist as it nears his face; they struggle back and forth for a moment. Loki's eyes are bright, bright blue, and the glow around his hand sparks like lightning.

"Leave me alone!"

"You are coming with me, Eric, whether you like it or not. I am trying to be nice. I am more powerful than you could imagine, I could have stolen you away if I so chose." Loki hisses. There's magic in his words now, too, coming at Eric like a tidal wave. He can feel it trying to work its way into his brain. He screws his eyes shut.

"Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up shut up-" he repeats the words over and over like a mantra. It works. He can't hear Loki. But something strange is happening: it feels like his own magic is fighting back. He feels it surging out from somewhere inside him, out to his hands; he focuses on that. "Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up **shut up shut UP** -"

And the room lights up. Purple and orange explodes out from his hands, hitting Loki square in the face. The blue magic fizzles out underneath it; Loki goes flying across the room. The magic slams him into the wall and through the other side with an almighty CRASH. Chunks of wall and ceiling fall to the floor, James is crying, and the magic is still going. He can't stop it. It swirls around the room, bigger and brighter and stronger than it's ever been. He can just barely see Loki through it; he's laying in a heap just past the broken wall. Suddenly he hears footsteps.

"Eric?? James??"

It's his parents! Finally the magic goes out. He shouts back to them, and the footsteps close in. Strong arms scoop him up; it's his dad.

"Oh, thank god...are you okay, what happened?"

Eric points to the broken wall, and Loki beyond it. His dad's eyes harden. Papa appears with Mjolnir in his hand, and gravitates toward Loki. He kneels beside him for a moment, then looks back at them.

"Take Eric and James, get them to safety." he says grimly. Dad picks up James with his free arm and runs. The last thing Eric sees, looking over his dad's shoulder, is Papa spinning Mjolnir over his head. Then a flash of light, and he's gone.

oOo 


	8. Chapter 8

Steve has never been so angry.

Not at Eric (on the contrary, he couldn't be more proud). No, he's angry at Loki- beyond angry. The invasion, that was one thing. This is personal. How dare Loki try to take his child, how DARE he?? Steve is a peaceful man, but right now...if Loki so much as glances in their direction, he's going to kill him. So what if they're technically family? God, but he needs his husband. He needs someone to talk to. Someone who'll listen, and someone who's strong enough for them both because he sure as hell doesn't feel strong right now. Captain America can't even protect his own children.

He'd ended up at Clint and Phil's door when Thor told him to run. It was the only time he'd ever seen Coulson look really surprised. Not that he could blame him- it was 2:00 a.m., and Steve was in his pajamas with a crying child in each arm. He'd let them in, though, no questions asked, and they had spent the remainder of the night on the couch (the boys fell asleep in no time; Steve didn't sleep at all).

It's been three days now. Thor is still gone. Eric is, understandably, pretty shaken; they've only gotten bits and pieces of the story out of him: something about Loki wanting to take him away to Asgard. Steve tries not to think about what might've happened if he and Thor hadn't woken up. He's scared enough as it is.

And they can't even get into their apartment: it's been blocked off, and there are Agents swarming all over the place. You can still feel the residual magic from some distance away, and that's barely half of what it was originally. Three nights ago, the sheer strength of it had left Steve's skin crawling for hours. And all that from a five-year-old...maybe he had good reason to be nervous about these powers.

-

On the afternoon of the fourth day, Steve has just put James down for a nap when the phone rings. He runs to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Rogers, I need you to come to my office." Director Fury is as calm as ever. "There's someone here wants to talk to you."

"On my way, sir."

Steve hangs up the phone and turns around to find Clint watching him from the couch.

"What was that about?"

"Fury." says Steve distractedly. "Says there's someone here to see me. Can you keep an eye on the boys for a minute?"

"Sure thing."

Steve is out the door and down the hall as fast as he can go. Whoever this visitor is, maybe they'll have some answers. He very nearly sprints all the way to Fury's office; when he gets there, he has to stop for a moment and catch his breath before going in. And when he opens the door he has to catch his breath again, because he only knows one person who wears a bright-red cape like that.

Thor stands up from his chair and turns around slowly. He looks exhausted. But he still smiles that megawatt smile when he sees Steve, and steps forward for a hug. Steve stands there as long as he can, happy to just let Thor hold him. Then Fury coughs pointedly. They separate, but not very far.

"Now that the pleasantries have been exchanged..." is he imagining things, or did Fury just smile? "Your husband here was about to fill me in on what his dear brother has been up to." Fury nods to Thor, who takes a deep breath.

"It seems Loki has been watching watching us - and Eric - for some time. Much longer than we realized. He saw Eric's potential long before we did, and may have even encouraged him."

"Oh my god..." Steve groans. He feels a little sick.

"There is more: I believe he was waiting until Eric developed his powers to a certain point, before taking him to Asgard."

"Why?"

"To train him further. But for his own benefit, not Eric's. He likely thought Eric would make a good apprentice."

"The sorceror's apprentice..." Steve scoffs before realizing he'd said it aloud.

"The what?"

"Never mind."

Fury speaks up. "So did Loki tell you all these things?"

"Some, yes. Others I discerned myself. Loki is my brother; his mind may be fair afield, but I can still understand its workings."

"Hm."

"...So now what?" says Steve.

"Now..." Thor hesitates.  "Now we decide what course we must pursue."

"Well first of all, what happens with Loki?" Fury asks.

"He has been imprisoned," Thor repies darkly, "in a place not even he can escape. And he shall remain there for a very long time. **No one** threatens the sons of Thor."

There's a weighty pause. Thor's words seem to have put a damper on the whole conversation. "What about Eric?" asks Steve eventually.

Thor sighs heavily. "That is what we must decide."

oOo

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked the story, please leave a comment- I'd love to hear from you!


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